Future unwritten for jubilant Italy at Women's EURO 2025

Celebrating a defeat might sound like a contradiction, but when that defeat doesn't prevent you from reaching the UEFA Women's EURO quarter-finals for the first time in 12 years, then joy and carefree celebrations are easy to understand.

That's exactly what happened to Italy in Bern on Friday night. Despite a 3-1 loss to Spain, Andrea Soncin's side finished runners-up in Group B and began a bout of singing and dancing at Wankdorf Stadium before heading back to their base camp in Weggis.

Italy's place in the last eight was made possible by Belgium's win against Portugal in the group's other game, and they can now look forward to a quarter-final against Norway in Geneva on Wednesday. Having got this far thanks to their cohesion, unity and team spirit, those qualities could again prove their secret weapon.

"We're a group of down-to-earth girls brought together by a shared dream," says forward Michela Cambiaghi. "We feed off each other's energy. Even when there's tension, we know how to shake it off with a smile and a light heart."

A big part of that atmosphere is down to Soncin, who has rebuilt the belief of a team that fell short at both Women's EURO 2022 and the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Italy's coach stepped into the role as a newcomer to women's football, but now he's hooked. "A lot of people talk about women's football without knowing it," he explains. "I wouldn't leave this world for anything."

Andrea Soncin communes with his players after reaching the last eightGetty Images

After the Spain match, Soncin couldn't hold back his emotions, or his tears. "This is the best moment of my life," he reflected. "What we've done is magical. The passion we put into this… We wanted to write history, and we did."

Now the Azzurre believe there's more to come. So much so that the Natasha Bedingfield song Unwritten – a 2004 hit that's made a comeback thanks to TV and social media – has become the team's unofficial anthem. It's on regular rotation for captain Cristiana Girelli and her colleagues, who are never without their Bluetooth speaker and enjoy blasting tunes during training (when allowed) or, as seen in Bern, after matches.

As for where they got the speaker, that was a gift from none other than Soncin himself. After games, Italy gather in a quick huddle to regroup and reflect. Usually, it's Soncin who speaks. Back in April, however, following a 3-0 win against Denmark in the UEFA Women's Nations League, midfielder Arianna Caruso stepped up. "We made a promise: 'If we win, we'll ask for something,'" she told him. "At the next training camp, you have to get us a big speaker!"

When Soncin agreed, the celebrations were wild, the players swarming him in a massive hug. And, sure enough, when the squad regrouped for the Nations League games against Sweden and Wales, their coach showed up with the long-awaited speaker.

"Now you've got your music," Soncin told the players with a grin. "You know how to dance. I'm not asking you for results – those don't define us. I'm just asking you to believe in the dream we share. Nurture it. Every single day."

And so far? The dream remains alive. The results are coming. And Italy's future is still unwritten.